RD1 General
1.1 The definitions in the University ’ s Academic Regulations shall apply to these Regulations unless stated otherwise.
1.2 These Regulations are approved by the Senate upon the recommendation of the Board of Graduate Studies. The administration of the Regulations is handled by the Chow Yei Ching School of Graduate Studies (SGS).
RD2 Nature of the Degrees
2.1 The degree of Master of Philosophy (MPhil) shall be awarded to a candidate who has:
2.1.1 successfully completed prescribed coursework requirements, if any;
2.1.2 presented the results of research in a thesis which gives evidence of a sound understanding of the area of study, its context and applicability and makes a contribution to knowledge; and
2.1.3 satisfied the examiners in an oral examination in the subject area of the thesis, and in such other examinations as may be prescribed.
2.2 The degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) shall be awarded to a candidate who has:
2.2.1 successfully completed prescribed coursework requirements, if any;
2.2.2 presented the results of research in a thesis which gives evidence of a sound understanding of the area of study, its context and applicability and makes a substantial original contribution to knowledge in the subject area concerned; and
2.2.3 satisfied the examiners in an oral examination in the subject area of the thesis, and in such other examinations as may be prescribed.
RD3 Admission to Candidature
3.1 For admission to MPhil candidature, an applicant shall:
3.1.1 hold a relevant Bachelor ’ s degree with first or second class honours (or equivalent qualification) from a recognized university; or
3.1.2 hold a taught Master ’ s degree (or equivalent qualification) from a recognized university.
3.2 For admission to PhD candidature, an applicant shall:
3.2.1 be a current MPhil student in the University who seeks transfer to PhD candidature; or
3.2.2 hold a higher degree by research (or equivalent qualification) from a recognized university.
3.3 Equivalent qualifications mentioned above shall include relevant professional qualifications or other scholarly achievements recognized by the University.
3.4 In addition to the above, an applicant may be required to demonstrate a sufficient command of the English language in which the programme of study and research shall be pursued, or of the Chinese language, if permission is given to present the thesis in that language.
3.5 The University may prescribe other additional entry qualifications, as deemed appropriate.
RD4 Registration
4.1 A candidate shall register within a period specified by the University.
4.2 A candidate may, as a condition of registration, be required to take a preliminary course of study or an examination, written or oral, either before the date of commencement, or during the period of candidature.
4.3 A candidate is not allowed to register simultaneously in another programme of study in the University or in any other institution without the prior permission of SGS.
RD5 Full-time and Part-time Modes of Study
5.1 An applicant may be admitted, either as a full-time or a part-time candidate.
5.2 A candidate may apply for a change in mode of study. If approved, the candidate ’ s period of study will be adjusted accordingly.
RD6 Duration of Study
6.1 The study periods for research degree studies are as follows:
|
Programme of Study |
Full-time |
Part-time |
|
MPhil |
2 years |
4 years |
|
PhD (students with a research master ’ s degree) |
3 years |
6 years |
|
PhD (students without a research master ’ s degree) |
4 years |
8 years |
6.2 The duration of candidature, where permission has been given to transfer from MPhil to PhD candidature, is inclusive of the period of MPhil candidature, but should not be less than nine months after the transfer.
6.3 Requests for extension of candidature beyond the stipulated study period shall not normally be entertained except in exceptional circumstances.
RD7 Leave of Absence and Residence Requirements
7.1 Candidates who wish to take a leave of absence for the reasons stated below shall apply in writing, if possible, one month before the intended commencement date of leave.
7.2 A leave for interruption of studies for non-academic reasons requires the recommendation of the Head of Department and the Faculty/School. Approval of such requests rests with SGS. The leave period, which will not be counted towards the candidate ’ s period of study, should not normally accumulate to more than 12 months.
7.3 Study leave for academic purposes outside Hong Kong requires the recommendation of the Head of Department and the Faculty/School. Approval of such requests rests with SGS. The leave period, which will be counted towards the candidate ’ s period of study, should not accumulate to exceed half of the stipulated study period.
7.4 A candidate who is receiving regular supervision in Hong Kong or in a designated location approved by the Board of Graduate Studies is classified as being in residence. The required residence period for research degree studies is equivalent to half of the relevant period of study.
RD8 Structure of the Degrees
8.1 The degrees of MPhil and PhD shall consist of coursework and independent research studies culminating in the submission of a thesis.
8.2 Candidates are required to fulfill the following coursework requirements during their period of candidature:
8.2.1 MPhil: 7 credit units (minimum requirement)
PhD: 14 credit units (minimum requirement) and
8.2.2 for research students who commence their studies on or after 1 June 2008: A compulsory course on teaching and learning (1 credit unit)
8.3 Exemption from coursework requirements may be granted only in exceptional circumstances. Such requests require the approval of the Faculty/School upon the recommendation of the Head of Department.
8.4 Credit transfer may be allowed for candidates who possess postgraduate or other qualifications of relevance to their research studies. Such requests require the approval of the Faculty/School upon the recommendation of the Head of Department.
RD9 Qualifying Period
9.1 Candidates are required to submit a qualifying report within the specified qualifying periods as follows:
Full-time: Within 6 – 12 months from commencement of study
Part-time: Within 9 – 18 months from commencement of study
9.2 A qualifying report shall include a survey of the relevant literature, an identification of a specific research topic, the research methodology and a discussion on the possible outcome.
9.3 The qualifying report shall be assessed by the respective qualifying panels. Candidates who have been confirmed as qualified for their studies are required to submit a progress report on an annual basis until they complete their theses and other academic requirements.
RD10 Qualifying Panel and Supervision
10.1 The Faculty/School shall appoint a qualifying panel for each candidate, upon the recommendation of the Department.
10.2 The Panel shall consist of at least three members including the proposed supervisor of the candidate who shall be its chairperson. The supervisor, and at least one of the other members, shall be from the Department concerned.
10.3 The Panel shall:
10.3.1 identify and prescribe coursework for the candidate;
10.3.2 assess the qualifying report and monitor the candidate ’ s performance in coursework;
10.3.3 assess the candidate ’ s performance by conducting an interview, oral examination or presentation, as deemed appropriate, for the purpose of confirmation of candidature;
10.3.4 recommend to SGS, after the assessment mentioned above, on the candidate ’ s suitability to continue the study, or to transfer from MPhil to PhD candidature or vice versa;
10.3.5 recommend termination of candidature if the candidate ’ s academic performance is unsatisfactory;
10.3.6 monitor the progress of the candidate through the supervisor for the entire duration of the candidature and report to SGS annually;
10.3.7 certify, before a thesis is submitted for examination, that the candidate has satisfied all coursework requirements.
RD11 Termination of Study
11.1 A candidate ’ s failure to observe the University ’ s regulations and guidelines may result in termination of candidature.
11.2 Unsatisfactory academic performance may result in termination of a candidate ’ s study.
RD12 Submission of Theses
12.1 A candidate shall give three months ’ notice of intention to submit the thesis. Such notice shall be given together with the proposed title of the thesis, an abstract of the thesis, and the examination fee.
12.2 The candidate shall, by the intended submission date, submit a thesis embodying the results of the research undertaken, together with:
12.2.1 a short abstract of some 200 – 300 words summarising the content of the thesis;
12.2.2 a certificate signed by the candidate to the effect that the candidate is the author of the thesis and that it has not been submitted for a higher degree or any other award of this or any other institution;
12.2.3 a statement on the extent of the collaboration, if any part of the work has been carried out in collaboration with another person, identifying the parts of the thesis which are not the result of the candidate ’ s own work.
12.3 The thesis submitted shall be in the form prescribed in the “ Regulations for the Form of Theses ” .
12.4 Normally, a thesis is expected to be submitted not earlier than three months for MPhil candidates and six months for PhD candidates before the expiry of the period of study. Early submission of theses before the said date requires special approval of SGS.
RD13 Content of Theses
13.1 A candidate may not submit, as the main content of the thesis, work previously accepted for a degree or other awards of the University or any other institution, but may incorporate such work in the thesis if the work or material which has been so incorporated is specified.
13.2 The thesis shall include a detailed statement of the sources of information used in the preparation of the thesis.
RD14 Thesis Examination
14.1 The thesis examination will include an oral examination and such other examinations as may be required by the Panel of Examiners. The oral examination is compulsory.
14.2 The Panel of Examiners for the thesis shall be appointed by SGS upon the recommendation of the Faculty/School and the Head of Department. It shall consist of:
14.2.1 For MPhil —
Panel Chairperson
One Internal Examiner
One External Examiner
One additional External Examiner, if the candidate is a full-time member of the academic staff of the University
The supervisor of the candidate
14.2.2 For PhD —
Panel Chairperson
One Internal Examiner
Two External Examiners
One additional External Examiner, if the candidate is a full-time member of the academic staff of the University
The supervisor of the candidate
RD15 Examination Results
15.1 The recommendation of the Panel of Examiners shall be submitted to SGS.
15.2 A candidate who has satisfied all the requirements for the degree shall be recommended by the Panel of Examiners for award of the degree.
15.3 A candidate who is required to make minor revisions to the thesis, but has satisfied all other requirements, may be recommended for the award of the relevant degree, subject to resubmission of the thesis after making minor revisions, as indicated by the examiners.
15.4 A candidate who is not recommended for the award of the relevant degree may be required to submit a revised thesis for a second examination.
15.5 A PhD candidate may be recommended for the award of an MPhil degree if the thesis is assessed to be below the standard expected of a PhD thesis but is considered to have fulfilled the standard required for an MPhil degree.
15.6 A candidate may be deemed to have failed in the examination and shall not be permitted to resubmit the thesis for a second examination.
RD16 Appeal
16.1 Candidates may make an appeal in writing to SGS on matters relating to their research degree studies.
16.2 An appeal against the examination results should be made in writing to the Board of Graduate Studies through SGS within 10 working days of notification of the results. The appeal shall be considered only if there has been a material administrative error, or some other material irregularity. The decision of the Board of Graduate Studies shall be final.